PFC Chapter 139 A Great Reward Leads to a Rush of Men
Chapter 139 A Great Reward Leads to a Rush of Men
Chapter 139 A Great Reward Leads to a Rush of Men
Chapter 138 Chen Ying was quite happy. Pang Diwo didn't have enough silver to pay for the goods. In fact, Chen Ying didn't lack silver now. Even if he had a lot of silver, it would be very difficult to buy large quantities of goods. They could trade with sulfur, saltpeter, rhinoceros horn, cowhide, iron ore, and grain.
In this way, everyone was happy. However, after Xu Guangqi left, the Portuguese pastor Matthew came to Chen Ying's residence to ask Chen Ying to buy cement, steel and other supplies. The Dutch even wanted to buy his cannons.
These foreign devils are using Chen Ying's workshop to engage in an arms race. They're practically handing over money to him. They're even afraid that Chen Ying will return, so they're all sending him deposits. He's already collected over a million taels of silver in deposits alone.
After Chen Ying became wealthy, he found that his production capacity couldn't keep up. In order to stimulate the R&D project department to successfully develop the product, and also to stimulate the invention and creativity of the craftsmen, Chen Ying started the pay-to-win model.
He quickly devised a reward system, including a super grand prize, and promptly issued it to Yongning and all the workshops and garrisons.
Shahewei, Gonghua City. At the city gate stands a huge wooden plaque with two lines of large characters written in vermilion ink. Each character is the size of a bowl and is bright red, like a burning fire.
"Whoever can manufacture a breech-loading rifle will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of silver and granted 1,000 mu of land."
"Anyone who can manufacture a field cannon weighing less than 300 catties and with a range of more than five li will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of silver and granted 1,000 mu of land."
"Whoever can create gunpowder with greater power will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of silver and granted 1,000 mu of land."
These incentive policies, line by line, densely packed together, not only cover every key objective of the 29 R&D project departments, but also include various technological innovations in normal production. For example, craftsmen who improve production efficiency will be rewarded with between 5,000 and 50 taels of silver based on their individual contributions.
As Chen Ying announced his reward policy, the craftsmen below the stage stared wide-eyed. Some were counting zeros, some were pinching themselves, and some were trembling with excitement.
"—Ten thousand taels? One thousand mu of land?"
"My God, is this real?"
"When has Commander Chen ever gone back on his word? Commander Chen said that once the goods are manufactured, inspected, and put into storage, the payment will be made on the spot. The money will be withdrawn from the bank, and the land is in Daning, a black soil region where you can grab a handful of oil. Whoever has the ability can come and take it."
"However, Chen Shuai also said that those who fabricate, deceive, or plagiarize others' work will be executed without mercy. Chen Shuai's money is not for supporting idlers, much less for swindlers."
News of Chen Boying's generous reward spread like wildfire throughout Shahewei, Yongning, Daning Army, the capital, and even reached Tianjin, Dengzhou, and Yongning Port. The craftsmen who had initially been skeptical of the research project were now brimming with energy, their eyes shining and their spirits soaring. Craftsmen often have a tradition: "Teach your apprentice and you'll starve." Many master craftsmen hold back, not easily passing on their skills to apprentices, let alone advancing their techniques.
Now Chen is taking concrete actions to relieve the craftsmen of their worries, such as giving them 10,000 taels of silver and 1,000 mu of land, which will allow their descendants to enjoy wealth and prosperity and be free from worries about life.
If you can't kill them, then kill them.
This phrase became the new slogan of the Daning Ordnance Bureau.
He Chunyang was an official in the cannon research and development project department, a sixth-rank official appointed by the imperial court. He was originally an old blacksmith in the weapons bureau, having spent half his life forging iron, and never dreamed that he could become an official. But ever since Chen Ying gave him the letter of appointment, he was like a different person. Every day he would go into the workshop before dawn and work until late at night, even eating his meals by the furnace.
"Lord He, you should rest. You haven't slept for three days," the apprentice advised with concern.
He Chunyang glared at him: "Rest? Rest what? Ten thousand taels of silver are right there, a thousand acres of land are right there, you want me to rest? Can I afford to rest?"
He picked up a newly cast cannon barrel, squinted at the inner wall, and measured the wall thickness with calipers, his brows furrowing into a knot.
This is the seventeenth cannon barrel. The previous sixteen were either too heavy, too thin, or had uneven rifling, failing to meet Chen Ying's requirement of "under 300 jin and a range of over three li".
"Redo it!"
He Chunyang threw the cannon barrel aside with a clang, "Refine the molten iron again, and polish the mold again."
I refuse to believe we can't build it!
The apprentices dared not slack off and immediately went to get to work.
In the workshop next door, the breech-loading rifle project team was also bustling with activity. The project manager was named Zhao Tiezhu. He was originally a blacksmith in Shahewei, but later he learned to make firearms from his master. He learned quickly and became proficient in it, and Chen Ying promoted him to project manager.
In front of him lay more than a dozen failed samples; some had barrels bursting, some had rifling malfunctions, and some had loose locks. Zhao Tiezhu examined them one by one, his brow furrowing more with each one he looked at.
"The problem lies with the steel," he finally concluded. "It's not tough enough to withstand the pressure from the rifling. We need to find He Chunyang and have him specially forge a new batch of steel for us."
"Lord Zhao, Lord He is extremely busy; will he be able to spare any attention for us?"
"We have to take care of it even if we can't."
Zhao Tiezhu stood up, put on his coat, and said, "I'll go find him myself. We can't let the cannons get all ten thousand taels of silver; we riflemen should get a share too."
He strode out, leaving behind a room full of samples and drawings.
The gunpowder project team was in a frenzy.
The project manager, Qian Guang, was originally the owner of a firecracker workshop in Beijing. He was later recruited by Chen Ying with a large sum of money to specialize in gunpowder research. He had an almost obsessive love for gunpowder, spending more than ten hours a day in the workshop.
"No, it still won't work!"
He muttered incantations to himself, the small scale in his hand precise to the millimeter. On the table beside him were dozens of small porcelain bowls, each containing gunpowder in different proportions.
"ignition."
A craftsman used a long incense stick to light the gunpowder in the bowl.
"puff----"
A plume of white smoke rose, and the flames flickered and died out.
"This won't do!"
Qian Guang shook his head: "Not powerful enough, add another point to the nitrocellulose."
"Pfft—Bang—"
"That's about right. Let's try one more time."
And so, bowl after bowl of gunpowder was tested, Qian Guang’s eyes turned bloodshot, and his fingers were scalded with several blisters, but he showed no sign of stopping.
"Lord Qian, you've tried over three hundred times already, take a break."
"Take a break?" Qian Guang didn't even look up. "If we take a day off, someone else might finish building it first. Ten thousand taels of silver and a thousand acres of land—whoever gets them first gets them. I can't let someone else beat us to it. Besides, Lord Chen said that gunpowder is the mother of weapons. If gunpowder isn't good, even the best guns and cannons are just decorations. The burden on our shoulders is heavy."
The craftsmen nodded silently and continued working diligently.
The capital city, the Chen residence.
Chen Ying leaned against the wall in his study, flipping through the progress reports submitted by various project departments. Song Yanniang sat beside him, holding an abacus and calculating accounts rapidly.
"My lord, you've already spent over 350,000 taels of silver on research and development this month. At this rate, you'll have spent all our savings in the bank."
Chen Ying laughed: "It's better if it's all spent. Only when the money is spent can it be turned into something. Only when something is made can it be sold for money. The money earned from selling it can then be reinvested in research and development. This is called a virtuous cycle."
Song Yanniang frowned and said, "But what if we can't make it?"
"Can't they build it?" Chen Ying put down the report, his gaze deep. "Yan Niang, do you know why those people are working so hard?"
Song Yanniang shook her head.
"Because they saw hope."
Chen Ying stood up and walked to the window. "In the past, they spent their whole lives blacksmithing, carpentry, and gunpowder making. No matter how well they did, they were just craftsmen. But now it's different. Making good products can get you an official position, money, land, and bring glory to your ancestors."
Tell me, how could they not fight desperately? A great reward will surely bring forth brave men. This saying isn't just for the soldiers, but also for the craftsmen. Soldiers who fight with their lives can win battles; craftsmen who fight with their lives can create powerful tools. With powerful tools, soldiers can win even greater victories. They complement each other.
Song Yanniang nodded thoughtfully.
Just then, Su Mei rushed in, her face beaming with undisguised joy: "Sir! News has come from the cannon project department that He Chunyang has built a prototype cannon, weighing 280 jin (approximately 140 kg), with a range of 5.5 li (approximately 2.25 km). It fired ten rounds in succession without exploding!"
Chen Ying suddenly stood up: "Let's go take a look!"
Shahewei, the testing ground.
A brand-new cannon was mounted on the gun emplacement, its barrel gleaming black and shimmering coldly in the sunlight. He Chunyang stood to the side, his face and body covered in coal dust, but his eyes shone like stars.
"General, look!" He pointed at the cannon, his voice trembling. "It weighs 278 jin (approximately 184 catties), has a range of 5.5 li (approximately 2.25 km), fired ten rounds in succession, and the barrel temperature is normal, with no deformation or cracks!"
Chen Ying circled the cannon twice, touched the barrel, looked at the breech, and nodded: "Test fire."
"boom----"
With a deafening roar, the shell whistled through the air, shattering the distant target. The rangefinder soldier ran over and shouted, "General, range five li and seventy paces—"
Chen Ying smiled and said, "Good! He Chunyang, your shot is up to standard."
He Chunyang knelt down with a thud, his voice choked with emotion: "Thank you, Commander!"
"Get up." Chen Ying helped him up. "Ten thousand taels of silver and a thousand acres of land. Go to the bank and Su Mei to complete the formalities later."
In addition, all personnel in the cannon project team will receive a bonus of one hundred taels of silver each.
He Chunyang kowtowed repeatedly, and the craftsmen behind him also knelt on the ground, shouting in unison, "Thank you for your great favor, Commander!"
"However, do not be complacent. This is only a three-inch cannon. I need a four-inch cannon with a longer range, at least ten miles. If you can do it, I will reward you handsomely!"
Chen Ying looked at the craftsmen and said, "As long as you use your brains and come up with solutions, I, the commander, will not mistreat any of you!"
"Thank you, Commander!"
"The General is mighty!"
The news caused an uproar throughout Shahewei.
He Chunyang actually received the reward of 10,000 taels of silver and 1,000 mu of land. Not only him, but other craftsmen also received rewards ranging from 10 mu to several hundred mu of land, depending on their contributions.
The craftsmen who had initially been observing could no longer sit still. They rushed into the workshops like madmen, working day and night. Some even moved their bedding into the workshops, eating and sleeping right next to the machines.
The atmosphere in the capital was thus distorted.
In the past, the people of the capital talked about who had been promoted to an official position or who had made a fortune. Now, they talk about cannons, breech-loading rifles, exploding shells, rocket launchers, and landmines—words they had never even heard of before, but which have now become the hottest topics of conversation on the streets.
"Have you heard? He Chunyang built a cannon and was rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver!"
"Ten thousand taels is nothing! There's still a thousand mu of land to consider! That's the black soil of Daning; even a chopstick stuck in the ground can sprout there!"
"My cousin works on the gunpowder project, and I heard they're close to success. If they get the reward money, I'll get a share!"
Teahouses, taverns, and even brothels were buzzing with discussion about these matters. Even the scholars who had previously looked down on craftsmen were now forced to admit that these commoners were truly changing the future of the Ming Dynasty.
Chen Ying stood in the backyard of the Chen residence, gazing at the spring scenery, a smile appearing on his lips.
Song Yanniang walked to his side and whispered, "Husband, your move was truly ruthless. With such a generous reward, all those craftsmen have gone mad."
Chen Ying shook his head: "They're not crazy, they're alive. Before, they lived just to eat. Now, they live to create better things, get more rewards, and live better lives. Yan Niang, do you know? The most precious asset of the Ming Dynasty isn't silver, it's not land, it's people. It's those who are willing to use their brains, put in the effort, and fight to the death. As long as these people are still here, the Ming Dynasty has hope!"
As Chen Ying fulfilled He Chunyang's rewards, more and more inventions were reported. Chen Ying even started to loosen the rules, strictly adhering to the standards and rewarding those who didn't need to be rewarded. In addition to silver and land, Chen Ying created six new tycoons with immense wealth in just over a month.
Despite the considerable amount of money Chen Ying spent, the actual cost of these inventions was negligible compared to the rewards he was promised. In particular, the appearance of the nitrocellulose exploding shell caught Chen Ying's eye. Only with the advent of exploding shells could the god of war truly dominate the battlefield. The cannons of the Ming Dynasty could not truly determine the outcome of wars. Even cold weapons still had a chance, and possibly, to defeat firearms and achieve victory.
However, with the advent of exploding shells, this possibility has been greatly reduced. At least in positional warfare, infantry, even lightly armed infantry, has found it very difficult to defeat troops equipped with firearms.
Whether in the workshop area of Shahewei or Yongning, the furnaces were brightly lit, and the clanging and hammering sounds rose and fell, like the most beautiful music of this era.
Chen Ying knew that this was just the beginning; he had only planted a seed, and it hadn't yet taken root and sprouted.